Housemaid
by Maya C. Tamika
Summary: Zelda has been working as a maid in the castle her entire life, but a dramatic turn of events will cause her life to change forever. Zelink and Malink! ;  Rated T for no real reason!
1. The Ball

_Zelda_

Zelda dug through the pile of rags, looking for a suitable one to clean the ballroom floor with. She finally settled on the one that had the fewest stains and was made of the nicest material. She dropped it in a bucket, which she picked up and left the supply room with. She went outside to the side courtyard, which was overrun with weeds and tall grass that reached her knees. She stopped by the well and pulled the rope, bringing up a bucket of water. She filled her own bucket and reentered the castle. In the supply room, she added some soap to her water before she left for the ballroom.

She pushed open one of the large doors and stepped in. Her battered shoes made almost no sound on the polished floor. There was a ball tonight, and she had all day to clean the floor. That was her main duty. She cleaned floors and the occasional window. She closed the door behind her and walked across the room to the large staircase on the other side. There were two main entrances to the castle. One led directly into the ballroom, which was the room that guests would use on nights like tonight. The other led almost directly into the throne room for audiences. Then there were many other insignificant entrances that the servants used and one entrance that only the royal family could use, but no one had used it in years. The royal family never left the palace; not anymore.

Once upon a time, the royal family had loved to go out into the city and socialize with their people. Now, they were only seen when the people had audiences with the king, and even that was rare. Even Zelda, who had lived her whole life in the castle, had never set eyes on him.

When she reached the staircase, she stepped up two steps and cleaned the first. Then she moved up another step and cleaned the second. She continued to do this until she reached the platform. She cleaned one side of the platform up to the door, then cleaned around the door and the hallway leading back to the platform. She cleaned the other half of the platform and started down the second set of stairs. Already, it had been a couple hours.

When she finished the platform and the two staircases, she began cleaning under the platform and the staircases. She moved back and forth across the ballroom, cleaning the entire floor. She was about halfway done when she heard footsteps behind her. She brushed the hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail out of her eyes and turned around. It was the head of the cleaning servants, Telma. She was carrying a bucket in one hand. She walked over to where Zelda was sitting and set the bucket down, "I thought you might want some clean water to continue."

Zelda smiled sweetly, "thanks, Telma." She stood and took a moment to stretch. Then she knelt on her knees again to continue her work.

Telma whistled, "you sure can work, girl. I haven't seen the ballroom this clean since last time you cleaned it! And you work so fast! It took Ilia all morning just to finish the platform. Good work." She turned and walked out.

Telma was nice. She was never mean to anyone, never raised her voice, and always spoke with that sweet accent that sounded like honey. Ilia was a different matter. Ilia was nice enough to others, but she was the meanest person Zelda had ever known. She was just glad she didn't have to room with her anymore. When Ilia had turned seventeen, she had moved into another wing. Now, Zelda was rooming with a girl her same age who also happened to be her best friend, Malon.

The two girls had met one day back when Malon was still working in laundry. Zelda had been running late, as was Malon, and they rounded a corner and collided. Malon's laundry had scattered and the kind-hearted Zelda couldn't just turn a blind eye and helped her pick it up and fold it. Malon had uttered a quick "thank you" before rushing off again. Both girls had been late and earned a scolding, but something had clicked between them. Their second encounter was exactly the same a year later, but rather than start picking things up right away, the two girls had laughed as they recognized each other.

"Small world, huh?" Malon had asked.

"Yeah," Zelda replied, wiping tears from her eye.

They had slowly picked up and folded the laundry again while getting to know each other. Then Malon had been switched to kitchen duty and they saw each other more often. They had been best friends for two years before they turned ten and Zelda met Ilia. Ilia was two years older than her, and they had been forced to room together for seven years before Ilia was moved as well as Malon's roommate and they had been put together. Neither girl had slept that night since they were up talking and both had gotten in trouble the next day for sleeping on the job. They had been rooming together since then. Now, they were sixteen and Ilia was eighteen, and Zelda rarely saw her anymore.

Zelda finished the ballroom a couple hours after lunch. Normally, she would have stopped for lunch, but since cleaning the ballroom floor was her only job today, she had worked straight through so she could have the rest of the day off. She left the room and went out to the overgrown courtyard with the well. She dumped her water out in the grass, replaced the bucket in the supply room, and went to laundry to put her rag somewhere where it would be cleaned. When she was done, she went to the kitchen to see Malon.

When she got there, Malon was pulling a large loaf of bread out of the stone oven, humming. She was always humming or singing. "Mm…smells good!" Zelda remarked.

"Hey, Zellie!" Malon replied, placing the bread on a counter, "thanks. Hey! Have you heard the news?"

Zelda rolled her eyes, "yes, Malon. I've been locked in the ballroom all day hearing nothing but the swishing of water. I know exactly what you're talking about."

Malon giggled, "okay. I'll tell you."

"Could you give me something to eat first? I skipped lunch today."

Malon picked up an apple and tossed it to her friend. Then she began speaking, putting a second loaf of bread into the stone oven, "so, apparently, there are going to be some really important people at the ball tonight. Like, sages, or something."

"Wow. Cool. How do you know?" Zelda asked, biting into her apple.

"We're servants, Zel. We know everything, remember?"

"Huh. Not if you're locked in the ballroom. You don't hear much of anything in there."

"True. But that's not all. The captain of the guard is also coming."

"The captain of the guard always comes."

"Yes, but this time he's bringing his wife _and_ his son. From what I've heard, his son is about our age. And _really_ handsome."

"So why is his father bringing him?"

"He just turned sixteen this year. I think his birthday is a couple months before yours, so this is the first ball there's been since he came of age to attend."

"Oh."

The two girls continued chatting while Malon worked, and when they were done, they ate supper together and headed back towards the servants quarters. On the way there, they passed the door to the ballroom. Malon stopped and tried to peer in through the frosted glass on either side of the door.

"Malon, what are you doing?" Zelda asked.

"I'm trying to see the captain's son."

"Malon, the ball only just started. He might not even be-"

"I see him!"

"What?" Zelda rushed over to the glass and looked in.

"See him? The blond one coming down the stairs."

"Malon, you can barely see anything through this glass. He might be a brunette for all we know. You're imagination's probably getting the better of you."

"Yeah, you're probably-"

"What are you brats doing?" a voice behind them asked.

They both turned suddenly to see the very person they had been trying to avoid or eight years: Ilia.

"None of your business!" Malon snapped.

"Really? You know that if you're caught spying, you could get thrown out."

"Right. And who's going to throw us out? You?" Zelda asked.

"No. But I have the power to tell someone that you were spying," Ilia retorted, "unless you were willing to do a few…errands for me." She casually looked at her nails.

"Forget it! We're not doing anything for you, you ugly slug!" Malon said.

"Ooh. I'm burnt. Harsh words there, shrimp," Ilia said, "you know, I'm being nice. I don't _have_ to offer you a chance to redeem yourselves in my eyes. But I am. You should be-"

Suddenly, the door burst open and a woman came out. "This is a disgrace! I can't believe…"

A second woman was rushing after her, trying to calm her, "Impa, Impa! Just come back inside. It's not worth it! Impa!"

The first woman turned to face the second. She had short, white hair and red eyes. She wore a long grey sleeveless dress with blue stripes on the sides of her torso, which had a kind of metallic look to it. She wore grey gloves that stopped halfway between her wrists and her elbows. She wore a necklace that had the Sheikah Eye as a pendant, "how could she just not come? She promised-"

The second woman put her hands on the shoulders of the first, "look, just calm down. I'm sure she'll be here. She's probably just running late." She wore a green dress that had short, slightly puffy sleeves as well as elbow-length green gloves. Her eyes were blue and her hair was green, shoulder length, and held in place by a dark green hairband. The ends of her hair flipped out. She was much younger than the first woman. She could barely even be called a woman. Physically, she might have been younger than Zelda, but by the way she spoke, she appeared to be much older and wiser than anyone Zelda had ever met.

"She better just be running late."

"Impa, the ball's barely started. No one said we had to arrive together. You know her, she likes being fashionably late."

The first woman nodded slowly. Suddenly, a Goron appeared. He had spiky grey hair all around his body and he was very muscular, even for a Goron. But despite his serious appearance, he sounded carefree and young when he said, "is everything alright out here?"

Impa put her elbow in her hand and rubbed her forehead for a moment with her eyes closed. Then she crossed her arms, "yes. Everything is fine."

"We'll be returning shortly, Darunia. Go back inside," the younger woman said.

Darunia disappeared back through the door.

"I just hope she doesn't make too big of an entrance," Impa said.

"Of course she will. You know her. But rather than hoping she doesn't, just hope for the best, because you know it's going to happen."

"Right. Thank you, Saria."

"Let's go back in," Saria said. She turned and reentered the ballroom. Impa started toward the room too, but as she did, she glanced at the three teens standing off to one side, watching the scene. Her eyes widened as she fixed them on Zelda, but she said nothing and continued walking, closing the door behind her.

"What do you think that was about?" Malon asked.

"I have no idea. Hey, where's Ilia?" Zelda replied.

Both girls looked around, but Ilia seemed to have vanished. They shrugged it off and continued on their way. As they approached their quarters, they met up with Telma. "Oh, girls. Maybe you'll accept! The six sages of Hyrule have asked to be shown around the castle. I asked Ilia if she would be willing, but she said no. I want to get one of the servants to do it because they know the castle better than anyone. Even better than the royal family. Would you girls want to?"

"Well, we have our duties…" Malon began.

"Oh, forget about them for one day. Just to show around the sages. Will you do it?"

The girls exchanged a glance and immediately knew what the other wanted. "Sure. Sounds like fun!" Zelda said.

"Great. I'll see you two tomorrow morning!" Telma said before she rushed off.

"Sweet! We get to slack off for a day, and we're showing around some of Hyrule's most important people!" Malon said as soon as Telma was out of range.

"I know, right?" Zelda said. Her tone changed as she continued, "but dahling, whatever shall I wear?"

The girls laughed as they entered their room and prepared for bed.


	2. The Tour

Link walked down the stairs behind his parents. His adopted parents. He didn't know who his real parents were, but he was happy to have grown up as the son of the captain of the guard. He had grown up educated and was good at sword fighting. He was also good at archery and knew at least the basics of most other weapons.

He looked around at the ballroom. There were a few other teens his age, but most people were at least two years older than him. He glanced at the ornate doors across the room from him. He thought he saw two faces on the other side of the frosted glass, but after a moment they were gone. He shrugged it off, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. He followed his parents over to a group of five people standing to one side.

"Ah, captain! How are you?" one of the group, a Zora, said.

"Fine, thank you, princess," Link's father replied, "it's good to see you again."

"Likewise."

The conversation moved on to boring topics, so Link zoned out. He tried to catch his best friend Saria's eye, but she was focused on another of the women in the group, who was looking around exasperatedly. The two of them had a short, whispered conversation before they left through the doors leading into the palace. After a few minutes, Darunia went to check on them, and they returned a minute later.

Finally, Link was able to catch Saria's attention and winked at her. She smiled. In appearance, she was only thirteen, and shouldn't technically have been allowed at balls, but she was since she was a Kokiri and more likely to be older than anyone else there. Link gestured to her and she nodded. They excused themselves from the conversation and went off on their own. They stood near the wall and hugged. Then they watched the dancers as they talked.

"Wow. It's been so long!" (A/N: If you're reading this, Carla, I love you! xD) Saria remarked.

"I know. With all your sagely duties you never have time for me anymore!" Link faked a pout.

Saria punched his arm playfully, "oh please, Link. Don't go throwing any pity parties my way. I'll hit them right back."

They laughed. Saria could be mature when she wanted, but when she was around Link, she was just a normal teen. Link had met Saria at a young age through his father. When he was young, she babysat him, and as he grew older, they started hanging out more like friends. They had gown quite close, but then she had to leave due to her being a sage. That was two years ago. They hadn't seen each other since. Until now, and it was like they had never been apart. They talked, watching the dancers, until late into the night. At one point the Zora princess and Sage of Water Ruto, came over and had a short conversation with them, but she left a moment later.

"Hey, Link," Saria began after Ruto left, "tomorrow's Saturday, and since the sages are going to be here for a little while, we were planning on taking a tour of the castle. Everything's already been arranged, and I was wondering if you'd want to come with us."

"Uh, sure! Sounds like fun!" Link replied.

"Great. I can't wait!"

Just then, the door on the platform opened and the Sage of Spirit, Nabooru, came in.

"Ooh, Impa's gonna let her have it!" Saria said, more to herself than to Link.

Link didn't notice anyway. His eyes were fixed on Nabooru, just like the eyes of all the unmarried men in the room. Nabooru's tan face, dark eyes, red hair and sharp features were pretty good eye candy. Her fiery hair was pulled up and off her face, then fell straight down her back. A few strands had been left out to fall around her face. She wore a thin dress with a skirt that was a combination of peach, white and cream. Her corset was white and shimmered with a thin silver veil that covered her chest. The dress was strapless. It was true, she looked good in anything. And she knew it.

As she approached the other sages, Impa pulled her away from the group and they talked quietly for a few minutes before returning.

The ball lasted long into the night, and as the night drew to a close, Link asked, "where are you staying?"

"In the Stock Pot Inn. Why?" Saria replied.

"Why would you stay there? Why not here? The king would be more than happy to let you. Heck, even I've stayed in the castle."

"You've stayed in the castle?" Saria asked.

"Yeah. Sometimes, when my dad leaves for a long time, my mom and I move in until he gets back."

"Oh. I didn't know that. But, we stay in the Inn because we don't want to arouse suspicion."

"You arouse more suspicion by not staying in the castle."

Saria shrugged, "it wasn't my idea. Anyway, for the tour tomorrow, you can meet us there."

"Okay." Link heard his father calling him, "I have to go. See you tomorrow!"

"See you!"

Link walked over to his parents. As he approached, his father said, "Link, I want to say goodbye to the king before we leave."

"Okay," Link replied. He followed his parents over to where king Daphnes Nohansen Harkinian was standing.

"Your Majesty," Link's father said, bowing respectfully. His mother curtsied. He bowed, too. "Thank you for inviting us this evening."

"No trouble at all," the king said, "I'm glad you came. Are you leaving?"

"Yes sir."

"What a shame," he glanced at Link, "Ah, this must be your son. What's your name, boy?"

"Link, your Majesty," Link replied.

"Ah, a good, strong name. Bear it well."

"Thank you, your Majesty. I will," Link replied.

His father led the family away. They ascended the stairs to the platform and left. As they did so, Link couldn't help but realize just how clean the floors were.

* * *

><p>Link woke up and for a minute he forgot why he was so excited. Then he remembered the tour. He hopped out of bed and got dressed. He wore a green tunic and hat, just formal enough for seeing the sages and the palace, but comfortable and not overly formal. He left his room. His mother was bustling around the kitchen preparing breakfast. "You're up early," she remarked when she saw him.<p>

"Saria invited me to take a tour of the castle with the sages today," Link explained.

"But you've seen the castle."

"I haven't seen Saria. Not in years."

His mother laughed merrily, "true. Have fun. But eat something first!"

Link sat down and ate the pancakes she had already put on the table. As he ate, his father came out of his room, "good morning, family!"

"Morning, dad!" Link said.

"Good morning, dear," his mother said.

"Well, Link, you seem awfully happy today," his father said.

"I am," Link glanced at the clock on the wall, "gotta go. Bye!"

"What's got him in such a good mood?" his father asked after he left.

"He's going to see the castle with Saria," his mother explained.

Link walked to the Stock Pot Inn and arrived just as Saria stepped out into the sunlight. She waved as he approached, "good morning, Link."

"Morning, Saria."

"We're just waiting for everyone else to finish breakfast. It shouldn't be long."

"Okay." The two of them stood and talked for a few minutes before they were joined by the other sages. When everyone had arrived, they walked to the castle. When they entered through the main entrance, a woman and two girls were standing there. Link recognized the woman as Telma, the head servant, but he didn't know who the two girls were. One was a pretty red head with dark blue eyes. She wore burgundy dress that was more rag than dress and she was barefoot. The other had golden hair and bright blue eyes, almost the same as his. She wore a dirty pink dress that was worn and slightly torn. Her shoes were old and looked a bit small on her. She met Link's eyes, and immediately looked away.

* * *

><p>Zelda waited with Telma as the sages approached. But she thought there were only six of them. There was a seventh person with them. He had bright blue eyes and shaggy blond hair. He wore deep green, a color that complimented his eyes well. He looked at her and she immediately looked away. She regarded the other sages. Three of them she recognized; they had been the ones who had been arguing outside the ballroom when she and Malon were trying to spy and Ilia had snuck up on them.<p>

Besides those three, there was also a Zora who seemed just a few years older than the blonde boy, a beautiful tan woman with red hair that was even brighter than Malon's, and an old man that seemed wise, but nice.

As Zelda regarded the sages, the one with white hair kept staring at her. It was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. Hadn't the green haired sage called her Impa last night? It was an odd name, yet it seemed familiar to her. Suddenly, Telma was talking.

"Good morrow to you, the Six Sages of Hyrule! And I see you have brought the son of our beloved captain of the guard!" The shaggy headed boy straightened and bowed slightly when Telma said that. _So that's the son of the captain…_ Zelda thought to herself.

"These two girls are very dedicated workers here in the palace and they know it better than the king himself! This is Malon and Zelda," Telma gestured to the girls in turn, and they both curtsied.

At the mention of Zelda's name, Impa whispered a few words to the old man, who nodded but said nothing.

"Now, girls, be sure to show your respect! But have fun!" Telma said so only Malon and Zelda would hear before she left them.

Zelda, unsure of what to do, stood there for a moment, but she was saved by Malon, "welcome, sages! Shall we begin?"

They both turned and began leading the way through the castle. "Thanks," Zelda whispered to Malon.

"No problem," Malon whispered back.

As they walked through the first main room, Malon gave information on the palace as well as a basic background and architectural feats that were achieved in the building of the palace. She did most of the talking, but Zelda made sure to throw in anything that Malon left out. As they approached the door on the other side, Malon said, "this door leads to the throne room, but we'll save that for last." The girls had been given basic instructions on where to take the sages and in what order.

As the morning continued, Zelda began to talk more and the girls loosened up. They told jokes and the sages laughed. By midmorning, they were no longer in front of the sages, but part of the group. It didn't take long for Link to end up in between the two girls.

"Hi. You're Zelda, right?" Link asked.

"Y-yes," Zelda replied, her confidence suddenly leaving her.

Link nodded, "and Malon, am I correct?"

Malon merely nodded and continued talking about the palace.

"I'm Link. Nice to meet you," Link said, stretching out his hand.

Zelda took it and smiled.

"A bit on the quiet side, aren't you?" Link asked.

Zelda was suddenly nervous, left trying to find an answer, when a voice on her other side said, "don't pester the tour guides, Link."

Zelda turned to see the green-haired sage.

"Hi, I'm Saria," Saria stretched out her hand, too. Again, Zelda took it, "sorry if this idiot over here is a bit of a loser. He's not that bad once you get to know him."

Zelda giggled, "is that so?" She felt quite comfortable around this young-looking girl.

Saria smiled sweetly, "every word is true."

"Except the idiot part," Link broke in. They all laughed.

As the morning continued to progress, the group began to have an actual conversation, as opposed to Malon and Zelda just talking about the palace. As they entered the sleeping chambers, Zelda noticed that Impa kept trying to get close to her. It was a little weird, but Zelda figured that she just wanted to talk, like Saria had, so she allowed Impa to catch up.

"Hello, Zelda," Impa said. Her tone of voice was slightly different from that of the other sages that had spoken to Zelda. So far, she had had conversations with Saria, Nabooru, Darunia and Ruto, and they all seemed all too happy to talk to her before they would go and talk with Malon. Then there would be a group conversation again before someone broke of and talked to one of the girls alone again. During this process, Zelda and Malon had gotten to know the sages, with the exception of Impa and Rauru quite well, but they did learn Impa and Rauru (the old man)'s names. But this was different. Impa almost seemed in awe or surprised somehow.

"Hello, Impa."

"Can I pull you aside for a moment?"

Zelda slowed slightly and looked at Impa. She stared into those familiar red eyes. Why was this woman so familiar? She slowed to a stop and gestured at Malon to keep going. When she looked back at Impa, she was nodding at Rauru.

"Let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard the story of the lost princess?" Impa asked.

Zelda seemed taken aback. Everyone had heard that story. The story was that the king's wife had become pregnant just after they were married. But just a month after the queen gave birth to a beautiful princess, the castle fell under attack. It was no big deal; just a few rebels trying to stir up a little trouble, but the queen and princess were made to leave the castle just in case. According to the story, the queen hid the princess away and raised her on her own, as neither of them was heard from again.

"Yes, of course," Zelda answered.

"Do you know that there is more to the story than what people tell?"

Zelda remained silent.

"The queen is dead. Her body was found just after the rebels' attack on the palace. No one knows what really happened to the princess. This was knowledge that no one was told but the king, the sages, and the captain of the guard, and I doubt he told his family. The princess's body wasn't with the queen's, so we have speculated time and time again on exactly what happened to her. We never thought…" Impa stopped and shook her head a moment with her eyes closed before she started again. "There was another piece of evidence that was not revealed to the public. Did you ever hear what the princess's name was?"

Zelda shook her head, "what does any of this have to do-"

"With you? I'll tell you. The princess's name…was Zelda."

Zelda's eyes widened. Then she cocked her head, then shook it, "no, that can't be. I'm a servant girl. An orphan! I was raised by Telma. She's been like a mother to me!"

"But she is not your mother," Impa got down on one knee and put her hands on Zelda's shoulders, "I have talked it over with Rauru. We agree on the same point. All the evidence points to you being the lost princess. We believe that the queen gave you to Telma and told her to protect you. Maybe even to raise you as a servant, knowing that someday someone would put the pieces together. And we have."

Zelda contemplated asking a question that had been plaguing her since she set eyes on the white-haired woman. Then she asked, "why do you seem familiar to me?"

Impa's eyes softened, "child, I was the queen's midwife. I would have been the first person you set eyes on. You will not have any real memories of me, but me seeming familiar to you only continues to point to you being the princess."

"Wow. This is…a lot to take in." Zelda suddenly felt dizzy, "Impa, I think I'm gonna…" Then she fainted.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello!<strong>

**If you've stumbled onto this story, and you've read this far, I must not be half bad! Anyway, thanks for reading. I just have on itsy bitsy little tiny request...could you please review? I know I get emails whenever someone adds one of my stories to their alerts, but I love reviews! :)**

**Anyway, hope you're enjoying the story so far! I have good news while you're here, too:**

**I am thoroughly inspired to continue writing this story, so not only do you lucky people get two chapters in one day which happens to be the day the story is published for the first time, you also get a promise that the next chapter won't be long! ^-^**

**_~Maya_**


	3. Father

Zelda awoke to see everyone standing around her. The smell of fresh bread that always reminded her of Malon was quite prevalent in the air. She breathed it in deeply. The faces around her all seemed to relax when she opened her eyes.

"You're awake!" Impa said.

"Apparently," Zelda replied, sitting up, since she now found that she was lying down, "or is this all just a dream? It doesn't feel real."

"I most certainly hope we're not all figments of your imagination," Darunia said.

"Hyrule would be in big trouble if we were," Saria said. She and Link giggled.

Zelda looked around and realized that she was in the kitchen, sitting on a bedroll in one corner. _That would explain the smell of bread,_ she thought.

"Tell me Zelda, do you remember any of our conversation from before?" Impa asked.

"I think…I remember." Then it all came back to her, "yes! I do remember! You said that I…and the queen…and Telma…and whoa," she almost fainted again, but Impa's arm was under her back and held her upright.

"Come. Eat," Impa commanded, which didn't sound like that bad of an idea, "I have told the other sages what we talked about. They all agree with my reasoning."

"Wait, I'm feeling kinda left out here. I know you guys were talking and all while we were walking back here, but you wanna fill me in? At least a little?" Malon asked.

"A legitimate request. You are Zelda's best friend, are you not?" Impa asked.

Both Zelda and Malon nodded.

"Very well. In short, we believe Zelda to be the lost princess."

"You mean the one that was lost after the rebel attack sixteen years ago?" Malon asked.

"The very same," Nabooru said.

"Cool. But, how?" Malon asked.

"There's some information that was kept from the public when the story was told later. But I'm sure Zelda can fill you in on the details when she gets the chance," Saria said. Zelda just nodded weakly and continued eating.

"Wow, that's pretty heavy stuff. Anyway, shouldn't our first order of business be to tell the king that we found his daughter?" Link asked.

"We will. But first, let her eat. We all already ate, Zelda, so as soon as you're done, we'll go tell the king," Impa said.

"Actually, we're pretty much done with the tour. I was told to take you guys to the throne room right after lunch, anyway," Malon injected.

Zelda took her time eating, though everyone around her seemed content to wait. They simply talked as though she wasn't there. They didn't talk about her, however. At least they were considerate enough to not do that. When she was done, she was feeling a little stronger, but still weak from trying to process all the information at once. Then they all headed to the throne room, with Malon leading the way.

As they approached the throne room, Zelda's knees suddenly buckled and she felt bile rising to her throat. She nearly fell, but felt a strong arm under her. She glanced over, expecting to see Impa, but instead saw Link. She blushed slightly.

"You okay?" Link asked.

"Uh-huh…" Zelda replied nervously, strength suddenly flowing into her and the need to vomit dying down.

Impa walked confidently into the throne room, followed by the other sages. When they stood in front of the throne, Zelda was forced to stand in front of everyone with Malon behind the sages. Impa thanked the king politely for his offer to visit the palace, then she explained the reasoning behind what they thought. The king nodded.

"That definitely makes a lot of sense. I believe you're right, Impa. She's the spitting image of her mother. Of course, if what you're saying is true, we could have Telma testify to this."

"Of course your Majesty," Impa said, "Malon, could you please go find Telma for us?"

Malon nodded and ran off. A few minutes later, she returned with Telma.

"Telma, is this child the lost princess?" the king asked.

Telma seemed taken aback for a moment, but then she glanced lovingly at Zelda, then looked at the king and said, "I see you have finally figured it out. She is the princess. Before the queen died in the attack, she brought the child to me and told me to take care of her. She told me that Impa would figure it out someday. I loved your wife, sir, so naturally, I did exactly as she said."

The king nodded again, "thank you, Telma, for honoring my wife's last wishes. You may go."

Telma nodded and left. Zelda noticed that his eyes were slightly watery but he composed himself quickly, "very well, then. We need to arrange living quarters for her and adjust her to palace life, but as a princess, not a servant!"

"Your Majesty," Impa said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder, "if I may, I would like to be the one to instruct her. I am a Sheikah, as you know, and it was always the duty of the Sheikah to protect the royal family."

The king considered for a moment, but seemed reluctant. Just as he was about to answer, however, Saria stepped forward, "with all due respect, your Majesty, there are six of us. The five of us can take care of Hyrule. The only reason we would ever need all six of us together at one time is if a major war broke out. But that's unlikely under your rule."

The king considered again and finally said, "very well. Impa, you know where the princess's chambers always used to be. Please take her there and I will be there in a few minutes."

Impa nodded and left, leading Zelda away from the throne. Zelda followed her up to the sleeping chambers where they entered a big room that Zelda had never seen before. Once inside, however, Zelda saw that it was more than one room. The first room was a large sitting room with two doors leading out of it, besides the one they had entered through. One of them, Zelda learned, led to a large bathroom that had a huge walk-in closet in it. The other door led to a room with a large bed, a dresser (though with the closet the size it was, Zelda wasn't sure what she would use a dresser for) and a window with a window seat.

Impa bathed Zelda and dressed her in a pink dress that was much heavier than the one she was used to and a pair of pink high heels that were very hard to walk in. Impa chuckled quietly as she watched Zelda stumble around. She then told Zelda to take off the shoes and wear a different pair, that were flat, "don't worry, with practice you will learn to walk in those other shoes."

Even with a flat pair of shoes, Zelda found that the dress was long and she constantly tripped over it. Impa, rather than teaching her anything, just sat back and watched, as if evaluating the work that needed to be done to get Zelda up to princess standards.

A while later, the king knocked on the door. Impa opened it and left. Zelda was left alone with a man she barely knew, but she knew he was her father. He hugged her tightly, tears leaping into his eyes, "oh, my precious Zelda! I thought you were lost forever! And to think you were living in my castle this entire time!" He let the tears flow down his cheeks. Zelda, though she didn't know him, felt the love of a family for the first time. She hugged him back and began to cry as well. She uttered a name that she thought she would never use, "father…"

Father and daughter stood, embracing in the middle of the room, for a long time. When they finally did break apart, Zelda realized how tired she was. She glanced out the window and saw the clouds laced with the gold of sunset. She yawned and looked into her father's blue eyes.

"My Zelda…I thought I'd never see you again. It's hard to believe it's really you! You look just like your mother. Oh, how I've missed you." They embraced again and the king wiped the tears from Zelda's cheeks, "I'll let you sleep now. I'm sure you're tired." He kissed her forehead, "good night."

"Good night, father," Zelda replied, enjoying the use of the foreign word. It still felt odd to call someone who, to her, was a complete stranger 'father', but she figured she could get used to it. She was enjoying it. When the king left, Impa returned holding a silk blue nightgown. She helped Zelda change into it and brought her over to the bed. Zelda hardly remembered changing; she was so tired. She crawled onto the soft bed under the warm covers and closed her eyes. As she began to drift to sleep, she heard Impa humming softly. She hummed a familiar melody. Somehow, she knew it was her lullaby.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, here it is! A little later than I would have hoped, but it's up! Chapter 4 might take a little longer than they have before because I keep getting distracted, but don't worry; it won't be super long! :)<strong>

**Anyway, I have a favor to ask of all my wonderful readers...do you guys prefer Malink or Zelink? 'Cuz I will put my original plan into action, and have a little of both, but at this point in time, I could have Link end up permanently with either of them and it wouldn't be awkward. Granted Malink might be slightly more difficult, but I could do it. I have some very good ideas for Malon in this story. I'm looking forward to putting them in here! ;) I'm just curious as to which you guys would prefer. So review and let me know! I'm not going to make a poll on this (unless you guys specifically ask for one) because I don't really think it's necessary. I'll just judge by what I think you guys want more.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**_~Maya_  
><strong>


	4. Training

***Gag* *choke* *cough* *sputter* *spit* *die***

Sam: um, Maya? Are you okay?

**I…hate…pulp!**

Sam: …?

***Gets up and explains like nothing happened* My mom bought new orange juice and forgot to tell me it had pulp… *resumes dead position on the floor***

Sam: so, are you planning on telling the story or do I have to do it?

***twitch twitch***

Sam: *sigh* fine…

Quixos: I want to tell the story!

Sam: you? But-but-but, you'll mess it up!

Quixos: no I won't!

Sam: Yes you will

*Sam and Quixos begin wrestling in background*

***facepalms while still lying on the floor***

**Oh, one more thing: this chapter is kinda fluffy…hope you enjoy it! ;)**

Zelda woke up and for a moment, panicked. She wasn't sure where she was, and Malon wasn't right next to her. She felt exposed, as the room she was in was huge. Then, the events of the previous day came back to her and she took in her surroundings. Beneath her bed, a soft carpet covered the floor. Directly ahead, there was a large wooden door leading to the next room. To the left of the door sat a dresser with a hairbrush and a mirror. To her right, Zelda saw a large window that had thin curtains through which the sunlight was pouring. On her left, the wall was covered with a large bookshelf that was littered in books of all colors, sizes, and probably genres. She then took notice that her hair felt different: lighter and softer than ever before, and when she reached up to touch it, she found that she could run her fingers through it without encountering any tangles. She then realized her nightgown. It was light and comfortable. The inside rubbed against her arms and legs and she could have sworn that it was the softest material in the world.

Zelda blinked. She was a princess. She looked around again and tried to gather her emotions, but they fled from her. She barely had time to try again when the door opened and Impa entered.

"Ah, princess. You're awake!" Impa remarked. She stood next to the bed and extended her hand. Zelda took it and stood up. "How are you feeling?"

"Kinda tired, still," Zelda replied.

Impa nodded understandingly, "well, let's get you dressed and we'll see what can be done with your hair."

Impa led Zelda into the bathroom where she bathed again, then changed into a pink dress that was almost identical to the one from the previous day, but it was a little shorter and Zelda had an easier time walking in it. Impa then put another pair of pink flats on Zelda's feet and asked her to walk a little, then twirl. Zelda didn't stumble once. Impa nodded again, "this will do for now. We will spend our time learning to speak like a princess and in the afternoon, I will instruct you in how to walk and act like a princess. At meals, you will learn to eat like a princess."

"Speaking of meals…" Zelda began.

Impa smiled warmly, "of course. To breakfast!"

Zelda walked behind Impa and tried to copy how she was walking. She tried to hold her head high and walk gracefully, but her feet didn't seem to sweep the floor as easily as her eyes did. After a while, she gave up and trotted to get next to Impa. She then asked a question that she had been wondering since she had gotten dressed that morning, "how do you still have all these dresses that just happen to be my size readily available?"

"The princesses all grew in a very similar fashion. As long as the clothes were made well and properly, they were only changed when they went out of style. To be entirely honest, the dress you're wearing is a little old fashioned, but it will do for now. To answer your question, these dresses and shoes have just been sitting in the closet waiting for another princess. Now that you're here, they finally have someone to wear them again," Impa answered smoothly.

"I see…" Zelda said uncertainly. She wasn't positive she understood.

"Don't worry. As you come to understand exactly who you are, it will begin to make more sense."

Zelda just nodded and continued beside Impa.

Link and Saria laughed quietly. The sages were eating with the king that morning, and Link had been lucky to be invited. Not that he hadn't eaten with the king before, but now the sages were here, too, and he was happy to spend time with his best friend before she left again. Currently, they were snickering as quietly as they could, so as not to disturb the other sages and his Majesty who were all eating quietly, though it was fairly obvious that Darunia was trying and failing at hiding a smile.

Link took a sip of water to try and cover his laughter, but nearly spit it out when he glanced at Saria again. Saria stuck her tongue out at him and he snorted into his drink.

A loud clang from the other side of the table stopped the laughter as both Link and Saria looked up. Naboou was glaring at them. She had smacked her fork onto the table in anger, "what in the world could possibly be so funny?"

Neither Saria nor Link answered as they simply stared at their food with badly concealed smiles on their faces. Nabooru rolled her eyes and continued eating. To be honest, Neither Link nor Saria had an answer to that question. It was one of those times when it shouldn't have been funny but it was simply because it was.

The door opened and Impa entered. She nodded at everyone, then took a seat. Zelda followed her in. Link sobered up immediately. Her hair was bright gold and her eyes were brilliant blue. It was just a shame that she didn't hold her head high, but Link figured that would come later. Because of her upbringing, she wouldn't be used to being a princess.

Link only caught himself staring after Zelda's eyes met his own. He quickly looked back down at his food and poked at his bacon. He felt a nudge and looked over at Saria. She gave him a questioning look for a moment, then crossed her eyes in a silly expression. His badly concealed laugher suddenly returned.

Zelda sat next to Impa and glanced up. Her father nodded at her and gave her a kind smile. She smiled back, then looked back at Impa. "Sit up, princess," Impa chided.

Zelda straightened her back and held up her head. She then looked back at Impa.

"It needs work, but it will do," Impa told her.

Zelda sighed.

Throughout the rest of the meal, Impa gave Zelda tips on how to conduct herself whilst eating. She was starting to get bored and her back was tired. She wished she could sit with Saria and Link and laugh with them at whatever they were laughing at.

After breakfast, Impa took Zelda up to her room. Only after they had arrived did Zelda notice that Saria had followed them.

"I don't believe there will be too much work to do to when it comes to instructing her speech," Impa told Saria, "but I'm glad you're here to help."

Saria gave a shrug and a smile, "I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'll do my best."

The morning could not have been more boring. Zelda didn't realize how boring it was being a princess. She would rather be scrubbing floors than learning to 'speak properly'. To be honest, she didn't understand what was wrong with the way she spoke.

As lunch drew near, she was told she could have a little while to herself. She couldn't get out of the room fast enough. Saria caught up with her and the two of them walked along, chatting aimlessly.

"So, what do you think about being a princess?" Saria asked.

"To be honest, I don't really know what to think," Zelda replied.

Saria nodded knowingly, "it's bound to sink in eventually."

"How do you know?"

"I didn't know I was a sage until I was over a hundred years old."

"You're over a hundred years old?"

Saria nodded, "I'm a Kokiri. Our race is immortal."

"How old are you?"

Saria shrugged, "after the first few hundred years, keeping count doesn't matter as much anymore."

"So you have no idea how old you actually are?"

"Not exactly."

"Do you have a rough estimate?"

"At least a thousand years. Probably more."

Zelda whistled, "I guess I don't really have reason to complain."

"A change is a change. It'll take time to adjust no matter what."

"Thanks."

Suddenly, Link appeared from around a corner. Zelda almost ran into him.

"Whoa. Hi," Link said.

"Hi," Zelda replied, blushing slightly.

"Hey," Saria said, "or was that greeting only extended to her Highness?"

Zelda's blush deepened.

Link faked a glare at Saria, "yes, it was only extended to her Highness, so if you don't mind…" He extended her arm to Zelda. Zelda took it and Link led her away, head held high. A moment later, however, Link stopped and turned back around, "just kidding."

Saria smiled, "I know."

Zelda suddenly realized how quickly and willingly she had taken Link's arm. She hardly knew him! She pulled her arm away and slouched her shoulders.

Link laughed, "don't worry, princess. I don't bite."

"Usually," Saria added.

"Please just call me Zelda," Zelda mumbled.

"Okay. Sure," Link said.

"Saria!" a voice called from behind the trio. They turned to see Ruto running up behind them. "Saria," Ruto began, "Nabooru said she needs all the sages urgently I don't know why. She sent me to find you."

"It's probably something stupid, Ruto," Saria said.

"I know," Ruto replied, "but she has a bad temper."

Saria looked apologetically at her two friends, "sorry, guys, I should probably go. If I don't, Nabooru might melt of indecision on which shoes to wear at lunch."

Saria turned and followed Ruto back the way she came. Link and Zelda looked at each other.

"And then there were two," Zelda said right as Link said, "looks like it's just you and me now."

They looked at each other and smiled slightly. They continued around the corner and down the hall a little ways in silence.

"So, anyway…" Link began, suddenly at a loss for words.

"What's it like?" Zelda said suddenly, surprised by her own impulse.

"What's what like?" Link asked.

Zelda blushed slightly again, "what's it like to live a life of luxury? to have everything you ever wanted?"

Link shrugged, "come to think of it, I never thought about that. I mean, I always knew I was privileged. Especially because I was an orphan, but…"

"You were an orphan?" Zelda asked, shocked.

"Yeah. I lived on the streets for a few years. I don't remember it that well. I just remember being miserable all the time. Then, when the captain of the guard found me, he took me in. He and his wife raised me like their own son."

"Then I guess our stories aren't that different after all."

"I guess not."

It was silent for a moment while Link regarded Zelda's downcast eyes, "don't worry. You'll get used to it." He reached out and took her hand, "I'll help you." He gently kissed her hand.

She looked up at him and stared into his eyes. She noticed for the first time that his eyes were the same shade of blue as hers. Their hair was the same blonde. She might have thought they were related if it weren't for the fact that the majority of Hylians had blue eyes and blonde hair.

Slowly, without breaking eye contact, Zelda moved her fingers so they were intertwined with Link's. Neither of them moved for the longest time.

Link blinked, then moved a little closer to her. Her heart fluttered. He rested his hand on her shoulder and her heart leapt. His hand moved up to her neck so it was cradling her nape and his face drew ever closer. Zelda felt her own face grow hot and was convinced she would never get rid of the blush that was likely blossoming on her face and ears. Link's eyes closed. Zelda tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, Zelda felt a gentle sensation on her lips. With her free hand, she gingerly touched Link's waist, then back. She pulled him toward her. The warmth of his lips heated hers further and he took the hint her touch implied. He moved the hand on her neck up higher so it was on her head and gently applied pressure, deepening the kiss. She welcomed his touch and parted her lips slightly.

Link parted his lips as well, then gently began to move them in a slow dance. She let him lead as she followed along. After a few moments, Link stopped and gently pulled away, moving his hand from the back of her head to her cheek and gently caressing her jawbone.

She opened her eyes and looked into his deep blue orbs.

"Would you believe me if I said that was the first time I'd done that?" Link whispered.

"Yes," Zelda whispered back, "mine too."

Link gently pressed his forehead to hers and they both closed their eyes again. Just then, they heard steps from around the corner and pulled apart just as Impa came into view. "Here you are!" Impa said, "it's time for lunch!"

Zelda's face was still red and she only realized after Impa had spoken that she was still holding Link's hand. She quickly let go and cleared her throat, "uh, okay. Thanks Impa."

Impa turned and rounded the corner again. Zelda made to follow her, but Link picked up her hand again, stopping her, "princess…I-I mean…Zelda. I'm sorry. I-I don't know why I did that."

Zelda sucked in her lips. She could still taste him a little, "it's okay. I enjoyed it."

Link smiled nervously and let go of her hand. The two of them then walked side by side to the dining room for lunch.

The afternoon was about as boring as the morning, except more painful for her feet. She was constantly being told, "stand up straight!" or "don't slouch!" or "think tall!" And to make matters worse, Saria wasn't here. It was Impa and Nabooru this time. And Ruto hadn't been exaggerating when she said Nabooru had a temper.

As she finally collapsed onto her bed, she heard a familiar voice from just outside her room. She recognized it as her father. He and Impa spoke for a while, but it didn't sound important, until she heard the name "Ilia" followed by the phrase, "a good choice." Her ears perked up and her interest piqued. She managed to catch the last bit of the conversation.

"…necessary. I really do think Ilia is the best choice," Impa was saying.

"If you want to ask Telma about it, that's fine. I trust your judgment, Impa. All I'm saying is that I think you should ask Zelda first," the king replied.

"…Very well. I will do so," Impa answered.

"Thank you. And good night."

"Good night, your Majesty."

Zelda fell asleep.

The next morning, Zelda awoke in much the same fashion as the morning before. Her memory returned to her quickly and she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Impa came in a moment later and told her she needed to shower, brush her hair, etc. Zelda was starting to pick up on a pattern…

Zelda followed Impa down to breakfast, finding it slightly easier to keep her head up, shoulders back, and eyes forward. Not that it was easy, just easier. After breakfast, the same routine. Saria wasn't there to help, so Zelda had to tolerate just Impa. Not that that was a bad thing, though. Afterwards, she wandered the castle. She knew almost every corridor and hallway perfectly. Soon, she found herself in the servants' area. Next thing she knew, she was smelling fresh bread and standing in the kitchen while she stared at Malon's red hair.

Malon was humming quietly to herself as she chopped up vegetables. Suddenly, Zelda felt at a loss for words. She almost felt like she didn't know Malon anymore. She finally worked up the courage to say, "hey."

Malon whirled around. "ZELLIE!" she cried as she put the knife down and ran at her friend. Malon held Zelda in a tight embrace for a moment before letting go, "wow! You look great!"

"Thanks," Zelda replied somewhat awkwardly.

"Are you even allowed to be here?" Malon whispered.

"Well, I have a little while before lunch, and no one to talk to, so I found my way here," Zelda replied.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you came."

"Me too."

"So, what's it like to actually live in the princess's quarters and everything?"

Zelda shrugged, "so far, it hasn't been that awesome. Impa has lessons lined up for me every day. And they're hard lessons."

Malon frowned, "oh. I guess I was expecting something more glamorous."

Not wanting to let her friend down, Zelda smiled, "but you should see my room! I have tons of dresses and hundreds of shoes! My bed is ginormous and my room is even bigger! I get to shower everyday with warm water and look!" she grabbed her hair in her hand, "no knots!"

Malon's eyes brightened, "wow! That's great, Zel!" Her eyes suddenly took on a mischievous look, "so…have you spent any time with Link yet?"

Zelda remembered the kiss and licked her lips. She tried her best to suppress her blush. For some reason, she didn't want to tell Malon about the kiss. She knew she should. Malon was her best friend. You were supposed to tell best friends that kind of thing, right?

Instead, Zelda merely said, "a little. Here and there. We say 'hi' when we pass each other in the halls."

Malon laughed, "I was kinda hoping that princess Zelda would be a little more scandalous than servant Zelda."

Zelda laughed nervously, "yeah, well I guess not."

Malon glanced at the kitchen clock and frowned, "you should probably go. Lunch is in, like, five minutes."

Zelda sighed, "yeah, you're right. See ya around."

"Yeah. See ya."

They embraced again, then Zelda waved as she walked away. She felt like she was moving to a completely different country, not going to lunch.

At lunch, Zelda sat between Impa and Link. She and Link kept sharing glances and sweet smiles whenever no one was looking. Halfway through the meal, though, Impa suddenly said, "Zelda, I have something I need to ask you about."

Zelda was surprised, but merely looked at Impa with a question in her eyes.

"You will need a lady in waiting. A sort of handmaiden, if you will. I have spoken with Telma about this and your father and we think that the best choice would be the servant girl Ilia. She is hardworking and dedicated, according to Telma, but we wanted your consent, since you will be spending the most time with her," Impa told her.

Zelda's eyes widened. If she had her choice of a maidservant, she would choose Malon in a heartbeat. But then again, she jumped at the chance of being able to boss Ilia around all she wanted and not having to put up with Ilia's attitude. Plus, Impa did think she was the best choice, and what did Zelda know about picking a handmaiden? She couldn't bring herself to voice her opinion, so she simply said, "okay."

What had she done?

_A few days later…_

Zelda returned to her room to find Ilia with somewhat of a bitter expression on her face. She had to admit, Ilia wasn't that bad. She took her duty seriously enough that their past relationship meant almost nothing. But, there were some times when the old Ilia shone through. Like now, for instance.

"What's wrong, Ilia?" Zelda asked, sitting on her bed.

"Nothing," Ilia replied. She picked up a hairbrush and began brushing Zelda's hair.

"It's not nothing," Zelda said, hoping to get at least a little reaction.

Ilia said nothing until she was finished brushing Zelda's hair. She left the room and returned with Zelda's nightgown, "alright. So it's not nothing. What of it?"

Zelda shrugged as she pulled of her dress, "nothing."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"I wanted to know if you'd tell me."

Ilia didn't reply. She simply took Zelda's clothes from her as Zelda got into her nightgown.

"This is a step up from the regular servant world, though, isn't it? You have to admit that, Ilia," Zelda said, lying on her back on the bed.

"I suppose I should be grateful," Ilia said.

"Yes. You should." Zelda wasn't usually mean, but Ilia was a special case. And Zelda loved seeing Ilia's angry expressions when she couldn't retaliate. She simply had to take it. And Ilia was in a bad mood tonight, anyway. It gave Zelda an odd sense of satisfaction, though she knew she shouldn't have had it.

Zelda pulled the covers over herself, turned over on her side and closed her eyes. The first image to enter her head was Link's face. She opened her eyes and shook her head violently. That had been the first image she saw every night since the kiss. She had no idea why. She closed her eyes again and imagined what life would be like if Malon was her lady in waiting. They would never get anything done, her room would be a mess, her lessons would be a disaster, but she would love every minute of it. They would stay up late talking and laughing until Impa came in and told them to go to sleep. They would fling food at each other from across the table during meals. They would giggle when they saw a cute boy.

Zelda smiled as she dozed off to sleep.

Zelda woke up the next morning to someone shaking her violently, "Zelda! Wake up! Impa wants to talk to you!"

Zelda opened her eyes and saw Ilia. She sighed and sat up. "What?" she asked groggily.

"Impa wants to talk to you," Ilia repeated, "right now. Get up!"

Zelda rolled out of bed and dressed quickly. She put on a pair of low heels, which weren't too uncomfortable, but she still didn't want to spend the whole day in them, and went out to meet Impa.

She didn't have to go far. Impa was waiting right outside the door to her room. When she saw Zelda, she looked her over and nodded her approval, "your father wants you to be exposed to the outside world, so I'm taking you out into the city today."

Oh. So she did get to spend all day in these shoes. Wonderful.

On the other hand, she got to see the city, so she couldn't really complain.

Just after breakfast, Zelda and Ilia followed Impa out of the castle gates. Impa asked if she would want to take a carriage into the city, but Zelda shook her head, "I'd rather walk and set my own pace."

Impa nodded. Ilia glared.

As they walked through the streets, Zelda took note of absolutely everything. She had only been to the city a few times before, and she had never seen it through the eyes of a princess. As she wandered the various stalls in the marketplace and wondered about what transpired behind various doors, something caught her eye. It was a necklace at a jewelry shop. It had a thin, silver chain and a golden pendant in the shape of a triangle with an upside down triangle in the middle.

Zelda walked over and admired the trinket.

"Ah, I see that has caught your eye," the shopkeeper said, "it is a very common symbol in Hyrule. It's called the Triforce."

Zelda was entranced by the slight turning of the pendant and its glimmering surface, "tell me more."

"The three triangles all represent the power of one of the three goddesses, namely Din, Nayru and Farore," the shopkeeper explained, "Din housed power, Nayru housed wisdom, and Farore housed courage. The Triforce was said to have ultimate power, and if someone with a pure heart laid their hand on it, their wish would be granted. But, if someone with an evil heart lay their hand on it, the Triforce would split apart and the three powers would be housed in the Chosen Ones. Do you know the story of the Hero of Time?"

Zelda nodded slowly.

"The Hero of Time had the Triforce of Courage, and the princess at the time had the Triforce of Wisdom. But, by some divine trick, the evil Gannondorf was able to obtain the Triforce of Power, even though it was his fault the Triforce was split in the first place. Legend has it that in today's age, when trials arise, the Triforce will house its power it three Chosen Ones again to save the land," the shopkeeper laughed, "let's just hope that no evil being takes hold of one of them this time."

Zelda smiled at the man, "it's very beautiful."

"Do you want it?" a voice behind Zelda asked. At first she thought it was Impa, until she noticed Impa and Ilia were both standing beside her, having followed her over. Zelda turned around and saw Link and Saria.

"What?" Zelda asked.

"I said, 'do you want it?'" Link said.

Zelda was confused. She had no idea what Link meant.

Sensing Zelda's confusion, Saria stepped in, "he's asking you if you want him to buy it for you."

This confused Zelda further, but in a different way, "oh. Um…no, thank you."

"Are you sure?" Link asked, "I'm more than willing to-"

"No, I couldn't ask that of someone I hardly knew," Zelda replied.

Link smiled slightly, "alright. So, anyway, what are you three ladies doing here?" Zelda couldn't help but notice the slight blush that tinted Ilia's cheeks. Jealously swelled in her chest, but she didn't know why.

"We're simply taking Zelda through the city to see what there is to see," Impa replied, "by the way, Saria, what are you doing here? I thought the sages all left already."

"They did, but I decided to stay since I haven't seen Link in so long," Saria answered.

Zelda blinked, feeling confused again. The sages had left? When? And why was she the only person that still didn't know about it? She sighed to herself. Being a princess was going to be harder than she expected.

"Mind if we spend the day with you?" Link asked.

"That's not my decision," Impa replied.

It took Zelda a moment to realize that Impa had meant it was her decision. She shook herself out of her stupor, "I would be delighted."

Link smiled.


End file.
